Jenna Nelson

Jenna Nelson – Editor

Editing tailored to your project. 300+ books for traditional publishers. Many repeat clients. I enjoy this work, and I am easy to work with!

Overview

Areas of Expertise

* Authors who help their readers unlock their inner strength, set intentions, invite healing, and inspire readers to explore the natural world.

* Authors who help their readers make lifestyle changes and reach challenging new goals.

* Authors who want to bring complex ideas to a wide audience in an accessible, reader-friendly form.

* Cookbook and wellness manuscripts of all kinds—from Ayurvedic balancing to cannabis cocktails to vegan baking.

* Manuscripts that are written on behalf of animals.

I can send you a sample edit with my offer to give you a good sense of what working with me is like. I schedule projects with flexibility built in. When we work together you know my full attention is on you and your work.

Services
Non-Fiction
Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits Health & Wellbeing Home & Garden Nature New Age Self-Help & Self-Improvement Sports & Outdoors
Languages
English (CAN) English (US)
Certifications
  • PhD, Emory University
  • MA, Universite de Montreal
  • BA, University of Pittsburgh
  • Editing Certificate, University of Chicago
  • Copyediting Certificate, UC–San Diego
  • Plain Language Certificate, Simon Fraser University
  • Indexing, UC–Berkeley
  • Developmental Editing, Author-Editor Clinic

Work experience

Self-employed

May, 2009 — Present
Experience: 15+ years, 300+ books Publishers and authors hire me to develop books that inspire readers to be creative, make lifestyle changes, and reach new goals. I have worked with award-winning authors (IACP; James Beard), celebrity chefs, and *many* successful first-time authors who have a passion for sharing their work. I truly enjoy helping authors set their readers up for success. My portfolio on Reedsy includes a small sample of the 100s of projects I have been a part of.

Asymptote literary journal (world literature in translation)

Aug, 2024 — Jun, 2026 (almost 2 years)

Macmillan

Dec, 2017 — Present

Page Street Publishing

Nov, 2017 — Present

Quarto

May, 2016 — Present

Portfolio

Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
How to Do Breathwork (And Enjoy It)

Casson, Sarah Austin

Dair Press

Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
Who Will Let the Dogs Out: Stories and Solutions for Shelters and Rescues

Achterberg, Cara

Waldo Publishing

Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
How to Start Running (And Enjoy It)

Casson, Sarah Austin

Copy Editing
Developmental Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Proofreading
Copy Editing
Developmental Editing
Proofreading
Proofreading
Proofreading
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing

Jenna has 12 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Atma S.

Atma S.

Sep, 2026

Jenna is a wonderful editor and person. She's caring, professional, and wise. This includes the right balance between allowing the author's voice to remain as it is and putting forth her advice when it is called for. She was so patient with the developmental editing, even though it was quite a jo...
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Michelle Z.

Michelle Z.

Jun, 2026

Although I am a new author, Jenna treated me and my manuscript with the utmost respect and attention. She gave constructive feedback and went above and beyond the role she was asked to perform. She provided websites and information on all facets of the publishing process, which she did not have...
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Rob Z.

Rob Z.

Jun, 2026

I cannot recommend Jenna highly enough. It was clear that she put in the time and effort to understand my vision. She was able to articulate it back to me—probably better than I could. Right from the start, Jenna was responsive and super clear about what she recommended in terms of process, which...
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Janet B.

Janet B.

Mar, 2026

Working with Jenna was an exceptional experience from start to finish. She brought a combination of professionalism, expertise, and genuine care to the editing process. Her attention to detail was extraordinary, from ensuring consistency with style guidelines to helping refine structure, flow, an...
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Sarah C.

Sarah C.

Jan, 2026

Jenna is a joy to work with. If you're reading this review, know you can't go wrong in hiring Jenna. She's extremely thoughtful and competent. She provides wonderful edits that align with the project's tone and scope. Jenna is looking for grammatical accuracy, yes, but also the overall voice of t...
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